Chain disconnector



Jan. 23, 1968 c. BANKER 3,364,674

0mm DISCONNECTOR Original Filed July 31, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 F/GZ My 1w INVENTOR.

.4 Q] I in LOUIS c, BANKER I\ I N w/72 Jan. 23, 1968 L. c. BANKER3,364,674

CHAIN DISCONNECTOR Original Filed July 31, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR.

LOU! S C. BANKER L. C. BANKER Jan. 23, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 5- OriginalFiled July 31, 1963 m @Px INVENTOR. LOUIS C. BAN KER United StatesPatent Office 3,364,674 Patented Jan. 23, 1968 3,364,674 CHAINDISCONNECTOR Louis C. Banker, 268 E. 1st, Britt, Iowa 50423 Continuationof application Ser. No. 298,952, July 31, 1963. This application Oct.24, 1965, Ser. No. 511,279 2 Claims. (Cl. 59-7) This invention is acontinuation of the applicants copending application No. 298,952, filedJuly 31, 1963, now abandoned, titled, Chain Disconnector.

This invention relates to chain link removers and more particularly itis an object of this invention to provide a chain link remover of a typeusing a long power lever for speedy and powerful link removal in whichthe direction of operative swinging of a free end of the power lever istoward the underside of a base of the disconnector which issubstantially adapted to be received upon an operators knee so that itbecomes practical for the elongated swinging lever type of disconnectorto be used far from a work bench and at the place of use of the chainitself.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chain disconnector asdescribed, the particular area of the undersurface of the base of whichis received on an operators knee being made approximately smooth so asto be comfortable in use.

A further object is to provide a chain disconnector as described whichwhen rested on an operators knee allows both of the operators hand to befree for using maximum pressure in manipulating the lever.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbe apparent from the following detailed description, drawings andclaims, the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawingsthemselves as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating amethod by which the principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalentprinciples may be used and structural changes may be made as desired bythose skilled in the art without departing from the present inventionand the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the improved chain linkdisconnector, with a portion of a standard on the near side of the jigbroken away.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the disconnector also with parts of standardsof the jig broken away.

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view of the chain disconnector with arack bar in the lower part of the jig shown in section.

In the accompanying drawings, and in the following specification, thesame reference characters are used to designate the same parts andelements throughout, and in which the numeral refers to the invention inits entirety, numeral 12 indicating a 'base plate upon which the partsare mounted, numeral 14 indicating a rack bar having teeth 16 in theupper surface and mounted to slide longitudinally between guides 18 and20 on the base plate, numerals 22 and 24 indicating vertically disposedstandards extended upwardly from the base plate, numeral 26 indicating ahandle secured by bolts 28 and 30 to an evener 32, the evener beingpivotally mounted by a bolt 34 between the standards 22 and 24, numeral36 indicating a bar pivotally mounted by a bolt 38 between the uprightsand connected, at the upper end, by links 40 and 42, numeral 44indicating a pawl pivotally mounted by a pin 46 on the bar 36 andpositioned to mesh with the teeth 16 of the rack bar 14, numeral 48indicating an elongated bolt extended through a chain link holder 50 andhaving a clamp 52 and a wing nut 54 thereon, numerals 56 and 58indicating stops between which chain links are placed for forcing chainlinks together, and numeral 60 indicating an adjustable slide forsetting the parts to accommodate chains of different sizes.

The inner end of the handle is bifurcated, having arms 62 and 64 thatstraddle the evener 32, and the evener is provided with spaced openings66 through which the handle is bolted in adjusted positions on theevener. The upper end of the bar 36 is secured by a bolt 68 to extendedends of the links 40 and 42, and the opposite ends of the links areconnected to the evener 32 by a bolt 70. The bolt 34 is provided withspacing sleeves 72 and 74 which hold the evener in the center betweenthe standards. Similar spacing sleeves 76 and 78 are provided on thebolt 38, and the pawl 44 is provided with a trigger or handle 80. Thebolts 34 and 38 are retained in position by nuts 82 and 84,respectively.

The chain holder 50 extends upwardly at angle, as shown in FIGURE 3, anda chain, such as the links 86, 88 and 90 are placed in the holder, asshown. The elongated bolt 48 extends through an ear 92 and the end isprovided with a nut 94 and the face of the clamp 52 is provided with ashoulder 96 that limits movement of the chain. The face of the clamp isalso provided with a horizontally disposed shoulder 98 for supportingthe chain.

The threaded rod 48 provides means for opening and closing the chainholder 50, and to disconnect the chain links are placed between the stop58 and the holder 50 for the top of the holder and chain. The links mayalso be placed between the stop 58 and the pusher 60, and the rack baractuated to slide links from the chain. The pusher, or stop 60, iscarried by an adjustable slider 100 that is adjusted to compensate fordifferent sizes of chain. The slider is retained in adjusted positionsby a set screw 102.

OPERATION With the parts assembled as illustrated and described a chain,of the detachable link type, is placed across the chain holder, as shownin FIGURE 3, and by turning the wing nut 54, the member 52 is actuatedto clamp the chain against the holder 50. By operating the handle 26,the stop or pusher 58 is actuated to force a link of the chain out ofits position in the chain, and with this link removed a new link, asindicated by the numeral 86 is positioned between the stops 56 and 58.The handle 26 is then actuated to slide the new link into position inthe chain.

It will be understood that the stop 56 may be omitted and the stop 58used, first to remove a link from the chain, and then to replace theremoved link by a new link. The stop 60 is adjustable to compensate forchain of different sizes.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a chaindisconnector constructed in accordance with my invention is particularlywell adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility withwhich it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious thatmy invention is susceptible of some change and modification withoutdeparting from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason, Ido not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precisearrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carryingout my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

1. A chain link disconnector comprising in combination: a base having onits underside an approximately horizontal supporting surface, anelongated rack bar having teeth in its upper surface slidably mounted onthe top of said base, elongated guide means on said base and operativelycorrelated with sideways movement of said rack bars, a pawl adjacent oneend of said rack bar and mounted to coact with the teeth thereof, anelongated handle extending approximately parallel to said rack bar asseen in top plan view, said handle extending in a directionapproximately parallel to said rack bar as seen in side elevation, meansoperatively connecting said pawl to one end of said handle, the otherend of said handle being free, a rack bar chain link receiving meansattached to the other end of said rack bar, a base chain link holderattached to said base in a position operatively correlated with saidreceiving means for holding a link which is adjacent a link of a samechain held by said rack bar link receiving means, said supportingsurface of said base being beneath said free end of said handle andbeing sufficiently close to parallelism with said free end of saidhandle at times when both are seen in side elevation that an operatorresting said supporting surface on his knee can press said handle towardsaid supporting surface of said base to cause said pawl to causemovement of said rack bar.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said supporting part of theunderside of said base is approximately smooth so as to be comfortableto an operator when received on an operators knee when in use.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,696,578 12/1928 Lippert 59 72,379,001 6/1945 Hage 597 2,710,520 6/1955 Selzler 59-7 2,917,89312/1959 Kausche 597 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

1. A CHAIN LINK DISCONNECTOR COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A BASE HAVING ON ITS UNDERSIDE AN APPROXIMATELY HORIZONTAL SUPPORTING SURFACE, AN ELONGATED RACK BAR HAVING TEETH IN ITS UPPER SURFACE SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON THE TOP OF SAID BASE, ELONGATED GUIDE MEANS ON SAID BASE AND OPERATIVELY CORRELATED WITH SIDEWAYS MOVEMENT OF SAID RACK BARS, A PAWL ADJACENT ONE END OF SAID RACK BAR AND MOUNTED TO COACT WITH THE TEETH THEREOF, AN ELONGATED HANDLE EXTENDING APPROXIMATELY PARALLEL TO SAID RACK BAR AS SEEN IN TOP PLAN VIEW, SAID HANDLE EXTENDING IN A DIRECTION APPROXIMATELY PARALLEL TO SAID RACK BAR AS SEEN IN SIDE ELEVATION, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID PAWL TO ONE END OF SAID HANDLE, THE OTHER END OF SAID HANDLE BEING FREE, A RACK BAR CHAIN LINK RECEIVING MEANS ATTACHED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID RACK BAR, A BASE CHAIN LINK HOLDER ATTACHED TO SAID BASE IN A POSITION OPERATIVELY CORRELATED WITH SAID RECEIVING MEANS FOR HOLDING A LINK WHICH IS ADJACENT A LINK OF A SAME CHAIN HELD BY SAID RACK BAR LINK RECEIVING MEANS, SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE OF SAID BASE BEING BENEATH SAID FREE END OF SAID HANDLE AND BEING SUFFICIENTLY CLOSE TO PARALLELISM WITH SAID FREE END OF SAID HANDLE AT TIMES WHEN BOTH ARE SEEN IN SIDE ELEVATION THAT AN OPERATOR RESTING SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE ON HIS KNEE CAN PRESS SAID HANDLE TOWARD SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE OF SAID BASE TO CAUSE SAID PAWL TO CAUSE MOVEMENT OF SAID RACK BAR. 